Not an habitué of nightclubs, boîtes, or other dens of musical iniquity -- I have played 4 times at New York's Le Poisson Rouge since it opened. In case you didn't know, this is the "it" place of the new millenium. A club (in the expensively refurbished premises of the former Village Gate) where music, high-toned classical, alt classical, and bands comingle, and drinks are served. It's caught the attention of the Establishment. Countless mentions … [Read more...]

Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time has gotten easier to play. Fifteen years ago, I learned the piece and performed it, finding the music quite difficult. There were rhythmic complexities, and ensemble challenges. Especially in the first movement ("Liturgie de cristal"), and in the sixth movement ("Danse de la fureur, pour les sept trompettes"), it was difficult just to stay together with the other players.
Around the world last … [Read more...]

Bruce Brubaker

Recordings such as the new American piano music albums I make for ECM, InFiné, and Arabesque reach many listeners, and seem to break through some old divisions of high culture/pop, or art/entertainment. My fans are listening to Frank Ocean, Skrillex, Nicki Minaj — even the occasional Mozart track! Spotify, iTunes, Twitter, YouTube allow music lovers to discover music they could not have encountered so easily in the past. Live performances begin to reflect what’s happening online: this year I play at the International Piano Festival at La Roque d’Anthéron, traditional concert venues in Los Angeles, and Boston — as well as nightclubs in Berlin, Hamburg, Paris, Lyon, Geneva, and New York’s (le) Poisson Rouge. Read More…

PianoMorphosis

Music is changing. Society's changing. Pianists, and piano music, and piano playing are changing too. That's PianoMorphosis. But we're not only reacting...
From the piano -- at the piano, around the piano -- we are agents of change. We affect … [Read More...]